Greece’s winter sales aim for €6 billion turnover

The news in Greek

1. χειμερινός
   που ανήκει ή σχετίζεται με τον χειμώνα ↩︎
2. έκπτωση  (f.)
   μείωση της κανονικής τιμής ενός προϊόντος ή μιας υπηρεσίας ↩︎
3. καταναλωτής  (m.)
   άτομα που αγοράζουν και χρησιμοποιούν προϊόντα ή υπηρεσίες ↩︎
4. κατάστημα  (n.)
   χώρος όπου πουλάνε προϊόντα ή υπηρεσίες ↩︎
5. κράτος  (n.)
   η οργανωμένη πολιτική εξουσία μιας χώρας με τους νόμους και τις υπηρεσίες της ↩︎
6. προσφορά  (f.)
   προσωρινή ειδική τιμή ή όρος πώλησης που είναι πιο συμφέρουσα για τον πελάτη ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Until what date will the winter sales in Greece continue?

Question 2: What must shops show about the prices of products during the sales?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
χειμερινός	winter
έκπτωση  (f.)	discount
καταναλωτής  (m.)	consumers
κατάστημα  (n.)	shop
κράτος  (n.)	state
προσφορά  (f.)	special offer

Read the full story

The annual winter sales period in Greece has begun, with retailers hoping for a total turnover of more than €6 billion. The discount season will run until Saturday 28 February, and shops are allowed, but not required, to open on Sunday 18 January and Sunday 25 January.

According to market data, around six in ten consumers make purchases during the winter sales. Spending usually focuses on clothing and footwear, followed by technology products and household goods. At the same time, a large part of household income is still devoted to basic goods and services, so many buyers are expected to limit themselves to more targeted purchases and look for high discounts and attractive online offers.

Retailers and trade associations describe the mood as cautiously optimistic. After the festive season, many Greek households feel some financial strain, but businesses hope that this year’s discount period will perform slightly better than last year and help keep prices under control in the first two months of the year.

Both sources emphasise that this sales period is taking place under a strict legal framework designed to protect consumers from misleading offers. Authorities have announced that market inspections will be intensive during the discounts, and that compliance with the rules will be closely monitored.

Under Greek law, any announcement of a price reduction must clearly display the previous price on which the discount is calculated. The “previous price” is defined as the lowest price charged during the 30 days before the discount was first applied. Shops may not use the manufacturer’s recommended retail price as if it were the old price, except as a separate comparison that does not give the impression of a discount.

During the sales period, shops must show both the old price and the new reduced price for each product. They may also display the percentage discount. If discounts apply to more than 60% of the items on sale, then the percentage, or the range of percentages (for example, “from …% to …%”), must be clearly indicated in the shop window and in any other form of commercial communication. When only certain products are discounted, this must be stated explicitly.

Special rules apply to stock and outlet stores. These retailers must show the old price (crossed out) and the new lower price. During official sales periods, all intermediate prices that were used between the original and final prices must also appear, again crossed out, with special emphasis on the final price.

Inspectors can impose significant financial penalties if they find inaccurate or misleading discounts. Fines may reach up to 2% of a company’s annual turnover, with a minimum of €20,000. In cases of repeated violations within five years, the maximum can rise to 4% of annual turnover.

Consumer organisations and authorities encourage shoppers to make use of the sales but to act with care and good judgement. Buyers are advised to check that the original and final prices are clearly written, and to question offers where the “old price” does not seem to match recent price levels. They are also urged to focus on real needs, avoid impulsive purchases driven only by large percentage discounts, and always keep receipts. Consumer rights to returns and legal guarantees remain fully valid during the sales period, as defined by Greek consumer protection law.

For international observers, the Greek winter sales offer an example of how an EU country combines seasonal discount traditions with strict rules on price transparency, in an effort to support retail turnover while protecting consumers in a period of continued economic pressure.

Info: ‘Greek Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Greek’, a language school offering various types of online courses for those who wish to learn Greek. It provides updates, insights and learning materials to support students at different stages of studying the language.